


Homecoming

by clgfanfic



Category: Soldier of Fortune Inc.
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-12
Updated: 2012-11-12
Packaged: 2017-11-18 11:49:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,583
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/560746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clgfanfic/pseuds/clgfanfic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Chance and CJ come home.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Homecoming

**Author's Note:**

> Originally published in the zine Black Ops #9 with Mary Fallon Zane.

Nick stood in the basement of the Silver Star, watching as Matt, Margo and Benny Ray put the finishing touches on the decorations that had turned the special operations headquarters into a brightly-colored party command center.  Not for the first time he felt the anxious stir of butterflies in the pit of his stomach and he sighed softly.

          Chance and C.J. were coming home.

          The news hadn't come as too much of a surprise to the former DEA agent.  When the two men had visited Benny Ray after he'd been shot, they'd both said they were getting bored with Paradise.  Translation: they missed the action.  Matt had immediately told them that they were more than welcome to return to "active duty," if they wanted to.  If not, Matt thought Trout might be able to find them something else to do.  Something that might make their lives more interesting.

          The two prodigal operators had said they'd think about it, but Nick had seen their reaction when Matt made the offer, adding that their suites were just like they'd left them.  He knew then that they'd be back, and before too long, too.  And he'd been right; less than two months had passed since their visit and they were headed back to California.

          The old team would be whole once more, and Nick couldn't help but wonder what that meant about his place in the grand scheme of things.  Would Matt want to keep him on if Chance and C.J. were back?  Did he really have anything to offer a team of ex-military types?  He liked to think he did, but, realistically, he brought nothing new to the team, except maybe his undercover skills, and on the whole those weren't really used much.  Besides, Margo was as good as he was when it came right down to it.

          "Hey, Nick, did you pick up the food?" Matt asked on his way over to check on the ribs, baking in the oven.

          "Yeah, all taken care of," Nick replied, watching Margo and Benny Ray setting the covered and decorated table.

          "Afraid ya might work up a little sweat, Delveccio?" the sniper asked, flashing the former DEA agent a frown.

          "Naw, just didn't look like there was anything left to do."

          "Why don't you go keep an eye out for them," Margo suggested, offering him a sympathetic smile at the same time.

          Nick nodded, grinning at the nervousness the three hardened operators were displaying.  _You'd think they were getting ready to throw the President a surprise party_ , he thought.  He turned and climbed the basement stairs, then headed out to the bar, which was still quiet.  The evening crowd wouldn't show up for another few hours, but then the place would be jumping.  He gave Andi a wave, and she returned the gesture.  The newly hired manager was working out really well, taking most of the burden of running the Silver Star Bar off Matt's shoulders after it had become painfully clear that Shepherd wasn't organized enough to run the bar and undertake covert missions all over the world, on a moment's notice.  Andi Rockwell was an experienced restaurant manager, and she had taken over all the day to day tasks of running the bar, getting a good chunk of the profits for her efforts, too.

          Nick slid into one of the booths where he could watch the door.

          Andi walked over and asked, "Can I get you anything?"

          "The coffee fresh?" he asked her.

          "Just finished dripping," she replied.  In her early forties, Andi was on the short side at five-four, but she had all the right feminine curves.  Her daily runs kept her trim and added a glow to her lightly-tanned complexion.  Her reddish-blonde hair was cut short in a chaotic manner that gave her a playful, unpredictable look.  All in all, Nick found her attractive and personable.

          "Coffee, then," he said.

          "So, are Matt's friends arriving today?" she asked after she returned with the steaming cup.  Her large blue eyes fixed on his, studying him, and Nick knew she could see the doubts he was feeling.

          Nick nodded as he added the contents from a handful of sugar packets and stirred his coffee.

          Andi slid into the seat across from Nick and leaned back, her gaze still on him.  "You okay with this?"

          Nick nodded again.  Matt had picked Andi because she'd been married to an operator for over twenty years, a man who was a good friend of Matt's, right up until his tragic death in a recreational diving accident.  She was well aware of what they did for a living, and knew how to keep her mouth shut.

          "Nick?" she asked, her tone challenging.

          He shrugged.  "Yeah, yeah.  Guess I'm feeling a little…"

          "Like a third wheel?" she finished for him.

          He nodded.

          "Well, don't.  I've known Matt for a long time.  He's pure professional.  If he wanted you on the team, then he sees what you have to offer, and that's not going to change just because a couple of old team members are coming back."

          "I guess," Nick said, then took a sip of his coffee.

          "Don't guess.  Know it," Andi told him, then reached out and patted his arm.  "I've gotta get back to work."

          Nick nodded, adding with a grateful grin, "Thanks, Andi."

          "Any time," she replied as she slid out of the booth and headed back to the bar.

          Nick continued to work on his coffee, finishing it off just before the door opened and Chance and C.J. stepped inside.  They glanced around, taking in the most recent improvements.  Both men grinned and nodded, exchanging a few words Nick couldn't hear.  Watching their easy camaraderie, he felt a small stab of jealousy.  He'd never share that kind of relationship with any of the team members.  But at least he didn't feel like they would all rather he pick another line of work any more.  Well, unless he was running off at the mouth.  Still, he'd learned a lot since he'd joined Matt and the others, more than he'd ever expected to…

          Chance and C.J. spotted him and started over.

          He scooted along the booth and stood to greet them, grinning.  "Hey, how's it goin'?"

          Chance extended his hand, saying, "Fine.  Where is everybody?"

          Nick shrugged a shoulder, shaking C.J.'s hand as he said, "It'll pick up in a few hours."

          "No, the Major and–" Chance started to correct him.

          "Come on," Nick said, gesturing from them to follow him.  He headed for the stairs, leading the way down into the darkness.

          The two operators followed.

          "Hey, where'd ya go?" Nick called into the darkness when he hit the bottom stairs.

          The lights came on, Matt, Margo and Benny Ray calling, "Welcome home!"

          Chance and C.J. grinned and blushed, looking around at the elaborate decorations and the huge spread, setting on the table.  Then they both walked over, taking turns to give Margo a hug and shake hands with Matt.  C.J. also shook hands with Benny Ray, but Chance gave the sniper a careful hug, asking him how he was doing.

          "Great," Benny Ray replied with a grin.  "I'm back t' work."

          "And almost back to a hundred percent," Matt added proudly, giving the sniper a clap on the shoulder.

          "Wasn't as bad as they thought," the sniper explained.

          "Glad to hear it," Chance replied with a grin, punching Benny Ray lightly on the shoulder.  "Because you looked like hell the last time we saw you."

          "Worse than Bosnia," C.J. added.

          Benny Ray rolled his eyes.

          "Hey, let's eat," Nick called, heading for the table and taking a seat.  A moment later he regretted the action.  He could tell from the looks he was getting that he'd sat in either Chance or C.J.'s old place, but before he could react, the others slid into the rest of the chairs and started reaching for the various platters and bowels of food.

          "How was the flight?" Matt asked as he scooped off a small pile of the baked ribs.

          "Not bad," Chance replied, going for the potato salad.  "Had a tailwind the whole trip; got in almost an hour earlier than we expected."

          "All your stuff make it okay, too?" Benny Ray asked.

          C.J. nodded.  "We didn't bring much.  Sold most of it, or donated it."

          "Yeah," Chance agreed, "but the rest was already waiting for us on the base.  We'll pick it up tomorrow."

          Matt nodded.  "You two going to take me up on my offer and move into the suites?"

          Both men nodded, their mouths full.

          Nick listened as the five friends spent the next several minutes catching up.  The light-hearted banter that quickly entered the conversation had him grinning, but he forced himself to keep his mouth shut.  The last time he'd met the pair, they had all been profoundly worried about Benny Ray, who had been recovering from gunshot wounds,[1] so there had been no chatter, no banter.  But now everyone was relaxed and happy and Nick would almost feel the tight bonds of friendship that bound them together.

          With the careful eye of an undercover agent, Nick studied Chance and C.J., really getting to know them for the first time.  Chance had a depth that surprised him, and Nick found himself liking the man immediately.  C.J., on the other hand, was another matter.

          Nick's first reflex, when confronted by the Brit's boisterous personality, was to bristle.  But he mentally he took a step back and watched the man a little longer, trying to discern what it was about C.J. that bothered him.  It didn't take him to long to figure it out – they were too much alike.

          C.J. was a talker, a storyteller, and so was he.  And, in both cases, that impulse to chatter sprang out of a desire to create a barrier, a safe wall that could be hidden behind, and Nick couldn't help but wonder what it was in the Brit's past that he was trying so hard to hide from.  Or hide from everyone else.

          Knowing they shared the same coping mechanism made listening to the man's seemingly endless string of stories a little easier.  But what did bother him was Benny Ray.  The sniper actually seemed to be enjoying the man's tales – much more than he'd ever enjoyed any of Nick's stories.  Why would that be?  His stories were just as good as the Brit's, maybe even better.  That just didn't seem fair.

          He fought the impulse to pout.  But he knew he was just shifting the blame. What really bothered the former DEA agent was the easy way Matt, Margo and Benny Ray seemed to have returned to what must have been their old patterns.  And before too long they were all speaking in a language that might have well have been ancient Babylonian as far as Nick was concerned – he couldn't understand more than one word in ten.

          That ongoing conversation came to an abrupt halt when Deke arrived.

          "Hey, Deke," Matt greeted, "pull up a chair."

          The tall, tattooed and pierced operator walked over and slid into the only open chair.  "Welcome back, brothers," he greeted Chance and C.J. with a smile.

          The two men and C.J. exchanged quick glances, their eyebrows arched with surprise.

          Matt introduced Deke to the returning team members, but it was clear from their expressions that they weren't completely convinced Deke was really one of them.  Not that Nick blamed them, Deke was a phenomena in and of himself.  The former DEA agent just wished the tall man looked a little more uncomfortable about the return of the two men.  Was he the only one who had reservations about his future?

          Probably, he decided.  After all, no matter how unusual he looked, Deke was still ex-military.  He spoke their language, which immediately became clear as the conversation picked up again, Deke joining in and holding his own.

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

          Several hours later, their dinner eaten, welcome home gifts opened, Chance and C.J. ensconced in their old suites, the others in their own rooms – or in Deke's case, off to his latest girl's crib – Nick found himself sitting alone in a corner booth, nursing a beer, while the last patrons left to make their way home.

          Andi already had the bar ready to shut down, and she and Debi quickly moved from table to table, wiping them down, filling up sugar bowls and the life as they went.  The music had been turned down, soft Top-40 tunes filling the space.

          When Andi reached his table, Nick picked up his beer, drained the last of it and handed the empty glass to the woman.

          "How'd dinner go?" she asked him.

          "Okay," he replied, but before he could add anything more, Matt stepped into the bar.

          "Hey, Nick," he called, "come into my office."

          Nick glanced over at Matt and nodded, feeling his stomach knotting.  This was it.  He was going to get sacked.

          Andi gave his arm a squeeze as he passed her, saying, "Don't worry.  It'll be fine."

          He nodded in reply, his throat too tight to speak.

          Climbing the stairs to Matt's office, Nick took several deep breaths to steel himself, then opened the door and stepped inside.  "What're ya doing up?" he asked lightly.

          "Could ask you the same thing," Shepherd replied, gesturing for Nick to take a seat.

          The former undercover agent dropped into a chair, his shoulders sagging.

          "You doing okay?" Matt asked him.

          "Me?  Uh, yeah, sure thing," Nick replied, trying to look as cheerful as he could.

          "Mm-hmm," Matt responded, leaning back in his chair and folding his arms over his chest.

          "Look, Matt," Nick said, "I know ya only took me on 'cause Trout asked ya to, and—"

          "Nick," Shepherd interrupted before the man got too wound up, "listen to me.  If you're worrying about your place on this team changing now that Chance and  C.J. are back – don't."

          "But—"

          "Having five on a team is good; having seven is better."

          "But I'm not military."

          Matt grinned.  "No kidding?"

          "Yeah, well, dat don't mean I'm not good at what I do.  I am."

          Matt nodded.  "If you weren't, you wouldn't be here."

          That took Nick aback and he wasn't sure what to say.  Matt saved him the effort.

          "I just wanted you to know that you're still a part of this team.  Nothing's changed in that regard.  I think you'll find that Chance and C.J. are damned good operators."

          "I'm sure of dat," Nick replied.  "Just wasn't sure I wouldn't be a fifth wheel."

          "Not going to happen," Matt told him.

          Nick nodded.  It was all he needed – for now.  Hopefully Chance and C.J. would accept him.  He knew Margo and Benny Ray already had, but would that change now that their friends had returned?

          "And don't worry about any of the others, either," Matt said, bringing Nick's head up.  It was like Shepherd had read his mind.

          "Even Benny Ray?" he asked.

          "Even Benny Ray," was the immediate, confident reply.

          Nick nodded again.  "Guess I'll give it a go."

          "Glad to hear it," Matt said, standing.  "Now, you'd better get some sleep," he added.  "We're taking a run at 0600."

          "Six o'clock in the morning?" Nick whined.  "Man, don't you people ever sleep?"

          Matt just grinned.

  


* * *

[1]   _SOF: Special Ops Force_ episode "Critical List."


End file.
